Michael Ian Black

Michael Ian Black's strange career trajectory has taken the slight, dark-haired actor-writer-comedian from hip MTV icon to beloved sock puppeteer to a scene-stealing supporting character on the hit NB...
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Netflix recently released its cast announcement for its upcoming 8-episode series, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. And, well, we can't remember the last time we were this excited for something. The incredible things this cast has gone on to do in the 14 years since this film came out is testament enough to their talent, and after watching it countless times, we've put together a list of just some of the reasons we can't wait:
1. For more of Bradley Cooper's incredible dance moves:
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2. For more of Paul Rudd at his absolute moodiest:
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3. For more steamy secret Bradley Cooper and Michael Ian Black love scenes:
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4. For its unbeatable inspirational dance scenes:
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5. For its most beautiful declarations of true love:
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6. For its on-point nerdy talk:
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^ This is a panty-dropping line if we've ever heard one.
7. And for its characters' ability to turn quite anything into a compliment:
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8. For more Poehler pep talks in the post-Parks and Rec days (even if they're in the form of the anti-Knope).
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9. For its characters, standing up for themselves, once and for all:
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10. For its ability to handle any emergency in a calm, rational way:
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You'd never even know there was something hurtling towards Earth in a potentially catastrophic way.
11. For its brutal assessments of other people's talents:
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12. For its awkwardly honest break-ups:
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Side note: Elizabeth Banks, if you really do taste like burger, we love you more than we already did (which we thought was impossible).
13. For its honesty in general, no matter how strange it is:
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14. For its absolutely perfect exits:
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15. For its relatable teenage summer goals:
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16. For its love stories, perhaps the greatest love stories ever told:
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The all-star cast of cult 2001 comedy Wet Hot American Summer is getting back together for an eight-episode Netflix series. The film, featuring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler, among others, was a box office flop upon its release, but has since become a DVD favourite, prompting creators David Wain and Michael Showalter to get the gang back together for a TV series. Wain will direct the project.
News about a Wet Hot American Summer revival first surfaced in 2012, when Showalter discussed plans for a prequel to the original, about life at a fictional early-1980s Jewish summer camp.
Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Christopher Meloni and Michael Ian Black are also expected to return for the new project.

Comedian Michael Ian Black was involved in a road accident on Sunday (28Sep14) after colliding with a scooter in Los Angeles. The This Is 40 actor was behind the wheel of his black Toyota at the busy intersection of Highland and Santa Monica Boulevard when he struck the other vehicle.
An ambulance was called to the scene, but the biker's road rash was not serious enough for him to be transported to hospital.
It is not clear who was responsible for the incident, but Black, who has yet to comment on the collision, was not ticketed for the accident, according to TMZ.com.

20th Century Fox Film via Everett Collection
Get a good look at the destitute world presented in the very first scenes of X-Men: Days of Future Past, because you won't be spending much time there. In a swift few moments, the movie introduces the stakes (mutant-killing robots called Sentinels have wiped out the majority of the superpowered race and any sympathetic humans), the surviving players — Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Prof. X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and a few other marginally present regulars — and the one plan that's just crazy enough to fix everything: send Wolverine back in time to the 1970s, courtesy of Kitty Pryde's (Ellen Page) nifty new sending-people-back-in-time power, so he can prevent the impetus for this colossal nightmare from ever happening. Quicker than Peter Maximoff can divert a league of military bullets while rocking out to Jim Croce, we're out of the black hole of grim turmoil and frolicking about the groovy tunes and alabaster hues of 1973. And from there on out, it's all fun.
Wolverine's mission is simple: stop Mystique (Jennifer Bluerence) from killing government scientist Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), the very man who invented the Sentinels... turns out the act of vigilance was a bit counterproductive. But even simpler than Days of Future Past's hero's journey is its quick fix on the time travel problem — you know, the web of logical paradoxes present in every piece of time travel fiction from H.G. Welles to Marty McFly to Looper that draws ire from sci-fi adherents the world over. Kitty spells out the rules from the getgo:
Go to sleep in '14Wake up in '73Do stuffWhen you wake back up in '14, that stuff will have been doneThe stuff that everyone did before you went to sleep in '14 will have been undone
Bing bang boom. As upfront and easy as high-concept time travel gets. In fact, the guidelines of Days of Future Past's space-time continuum could stand in as the film's general maxim to all viewers: Don't think too much. About any of it. Don't hang too tight to the old stuff, don't worry about the stuff to come, don't even get particularly hung up on the stuff that's happening now. Just enjoy yourself.
20th Century Fox Film via Everett Collection
Although framed around a time-bending journey to preempt the inception of a mutant genocide spanning decades, Days of Future Past isn't as much about the legacy of mutants as its premise might have you believe. All of its stories take place within and between '70s-era Charles (James McAvoy), Erik (Michael Fassbender), and Raven (Bluenifer Lawrence), battling their respective Cold War demons — drugs, political unrest, racial inequity — and shared personal discord. As a young Xavier riddled with pain and depression, McAvoy is a tremendous hoot, stealing scenes from all but one of his screen companions: the fast guy.
Even more of a testament to Days of Future Past's true nature than its "get in, get out, what happens happens" mentality on time travel is its breakout character, Peter Maximoff, a.k.a. Quicksilver (Evan Peters). Wrangled in as a deus ex machina midway through the picture and offering nothing more than hearty chuckles and flashy action sequences, Quicksilver stands far and beyond the more substantive characters and devices as Days of Future Past's foremost highlight. Not because the laugh-a-minute performance has got much running under the hood, but because DOFP is far more interested in having fun (which he does) than in saying anything (which the others do).
Peters is merely the beacon of the movie's joy, not the sole supplier of it. Wolverine's jaunts about the '73 Atlantic coast are deliciously merry. The grab bag of mutants popping out of the movie's seams is a delight. McAvoy's maudlin decadance as a rock bottom Charles is the stuff on which British comedy was founded. Future Past gets its gravity out of the way in the opening sequence; after that, it's all good times.
And that's why it gets away with what might otherwise be frustratingly clandestine references to X-Men film history. As lax as Days of Future Past is in its adherence to "the old stuff," picking and choosing what material from the previous films it wishes to deem canon, it seems to bank on the fact that all watching have every one of the franchise's cinematic contrivances fresh on their minds when they arrive for the new chapter. Stingy allowances to the backstories of characters and concepts — William Stryker (played here by Joshua Helman), the memories of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), and even Raven/Mystique (Bluenibler Bluebluence) — land inches from agonizing obstruction. But even if you're weighted down by your confusion over the nature of elements like these, you're likely to let the joy take hold, because the movie makes it terribly clear that the cool stuff is its top priority.
Although it might lack in the flare of some of its big screen comic book competitors, Days of Future Past does have plenty of "cool stuff" in its arsenal. At the expense, perhaps, of a story that feels perfectly woven, characters that come off as grounded, or a universe that's altogether cohesive, series pioneer Bryan Singer's return to the mutant world is plain ol' enjoyable enough to warrant the scope that it seems like it should have.
3.5/5
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Universal Pictures via Everett Collection
Movie fans don’t always agree with the critics, it’s just a fact of life. However, Rotten Tomatoes has become the place to find out both the audience and critic ratings of any film so viewers can compare and make an informed decision. While critics and fans agree on a lot of films, there are many comedies that reviewers panned even though they were loved by the audience. We’ve put together a list of the 10 most surprisingly rotten comedies because, at least on these occasions, the critics are totally wrong!
Wet Hot American SummerCritics Score: 31%Audience Score: 82%The cult hit that is Wet Hot American Summer remains popular among fans to this day, possibly because its cast included some major comedians like Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Michael Ian Black, and Bradley Cooper.
Ace Ventura: Pet DetectiveCritics Score: 45%Audience Score: 57%Though Jim Carrey’s wacky humor isn’t appreciated by everyone, to some, Ace Ventura is one of the funniest movies they’ve ever seen. If nothing else, it’s certainly unique.
Tommy BoyCritics Score: 44%Audience Score: 91%The comedy starring two Saturday Night Live favorites, Chris Farley and David Spade, is a classic! It’s surprising that Tommy Boy received such a low score, and if you narrow the Rotten Tomatoes score from all critics to just the top critics, the score goes down to 18%.
Billy MadisonCritics Score: 46%Audience Score: 80%It may be debatable which of Adam Sandler’s films is his best, but many fans are sure to name Billy Madison. Even if it’s not the best Sandler comedy, it’s easily top five.
Super TroopersCritics Score: 35%Audience Score: 90%Perhaps its silly humor didn’t appeal to the critics, but it did make Super Troopers a hit among movie viewers.
Bring It OnCritics Score: 64%Audience Score: 66%Rotten Tomatoes failed us all around on this one. Bring it On is one of the funniest movies of the past two decades. “We’re awesome, we’re hot, we’re everything you’re not.” You tell ‘em, girls.
Hot RodCritics Score: 40%Audience Score: 64%As Andy Samberg’s first lead role, Hot Rod was the movie that launched his career — with the help of Saturday Night Live, of course. Cool beans!
National Lampoon’s Van WilderCritics Score: 18%Audience Score: 74%Sure, Van Wilder may be a gross-out comedy, but it also launched Ryan Reynolds’ career. And if you can sit through it without laughing, you are a stronger person than I.
The Hot ChickCritics Score: 21%Audience Score: 60%Rob Schneider adopting the airs and mannerisms of a teenaged girl, plus Rachel McAdams portraying a gross small-time crook? C’mon, it’s one of the best body-switching comedies out there.
Grandma’s BoyCritics Score: 18%Audience Score: 86%Another silly-and-gross comedy that critics weren’t amused by is Grandma’s Boy. However, its raunchy humor was such a hit among fans that the movie’s ratings have the biggest disparity of all the comedies on this list.
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British singer James Arthur's girlfriend took the heat off the controversial star at the X-Men: Days Of Future Past premiere in London when she suffered a wardrobe malfunction on the red carpet. The former X Factor winner was among the celebrities invited to attend the screening in Leicester Square on Monday night (12May14) alongside the movie's stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen.
But it was Arthur's girlfriend Jessica Grist who caused a stir in front of photographers after her revealing black dress fell back to expose part of her left nipple.
It is usually Arthur who hits headlines in his native U.K. - he entered crisis talks with record label boss Simon Cowell last month (Apr14) after causing a storm when one of his tracks allegedly featured lyrics about terrorism. He has also come under fire for using homophobic language in a rap.

MTV
The State alum Ken Marino has just been cast in David Caspe's new NBC pilot Marry Me. The project will follow Jake and Annie, a newly engaged couple coping with the challenges of commitment. Marino will star opposite Casey Wilson, who also appeared in Caspe's previous show, Happy Endings. Marino's casting had us wonding what happened to the rest of the funny people that made up The State. It turns out that they've all stayed relatively busy.
Even though The State only ran on MTV for two short years and 26 episodes, that was long enough for the series to create a splash big enough to soak every inch of modern sketch comedy with its influence, and the cast has since traveled to the far reaches of the comedy world. Even after the end of the MTV sketch show, much of the original cast have worked together quite frequently, including the 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911!, and Stella. So what is the cast of The State up to these days?
Ken MarinoBesides his newest show with Caspe, Marino is appearing in the medical drama satire Childrens Hospital along with fellow The State cast member David Wain and lends his voice to the animated comedy Axe Cop. Additionally, Marino has recently concluded his Bachelor parody web series, Burning Love. The actor will reprise his Vinnie Van Lowe role in the upcoming Veronica Mars movie
Michael ShowalterSchowalter recently released the comedy book Guys Can Be Cat Ladies Too, and is currently writing for Rebel Wilson's ABC sitcom Super Fun Night.
David WainSince The State, Wain's career has taken off as a director. His latest film, They Came Together, starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd, just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben GarantLennon and Garant still work together, primarily behind camera, writing the Night at the Museum movies and last year's horror comedy Hell Baby. Lennon also stars on the NBC sitcom Sean Saves the World, and will (oddly) appear in the upcoming Terence Malick movie Knight of Cups.
Kerri Kenney-SilverKenny-Silver will star in the upcoming Fox sitcom Us &amp; Them and the animated comedy Hell &amp; Back.
Kevin AllisonAllison hosts the weekly podcast RISK! which focuses on storytelling and comedy.Todd HoloubekWe have no idea.
Joe Lo TruglioYou've seen him in a few Seth Rogen films, and Lo Truglio is presently one of Golden Globe winner Brooklyn Nine-Nine's long array of breakout stars (policeman/foodie Charles Boyle).
Michael Ian BlackBlack has been busy. The I Love the '80s vet is developing his own Adult Swim series, a self-help satire titled You're Whole, and will appear in Wain's They Came Together, the aforementioned sitcom Us &amp; Them, and a developing platform for comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Michael Patrick JannJann is almost exclusively a director now, helming episodes of Community, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Crazy Ones, The Goldbergs, upcoming sitcoms Us &amp; Them and Growing Up Fisher, and the developing comedy film Mantivities, which will star Chris Pine.
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Comedy Central
Chris Hardwick has fashioned quite a nice career for himself by celebrating his geeky inclinations. And on Monday, Jan. 27, he played host to the reunion of the favorite troupe of many a comedy nerd: The State.
The episode of @midnight started with three comic contestants, just like any other — this time, The State veterans Michael Showalter, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Michael Ian Black. As they off-handedly insulted their “absent” or possibly “dead” friends, each one of them popped up in the studio. Soon, all eleven members of group were on stage.
The venue makes sense, since Hardwick and The State are all survivors of '90s MTV and must have crossed paths in the hallways a few times. And that makes this episode of @midnight essential viewing for anyone who stayed up late to catch Singled Out or Black and Thomas Lennon as Barry and Levon, rubbing their butts in “$240 worth of pudding.”
If this is the jumping off point for a larger scale reunion, we now know what to expect. We'll get to hear our favorite catchphrases, for sure. Showalter was cut from the game first and reacted as his most famous character, disaffected teen Doug, certainly would have. ("I'm outta heee-reee.") And Ken Marino cut right to the chase when he was introduced, letting us know exactly what he wanted to do with Louie's famous ping pong balls. Joe Lo Truglio will probably wear a tux, as he has been ever since Brooklyn Nine-Nine won a couple of Golden Globes. And the comics will continue trying everything they can to make each other laugh. In the final round, when the contestants threw joke after joke at their straight-faced former costars, Michael Ian Black pointed out that it looked a lot like a The State pitch meeting.
For the love of Barry Lutz and everyone down at the Porcupine Racetrack, let's hope that this little get-together was a sign of bigger things to come.
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MTV
The State might seem like just a little sketch comedy show on MTV in the 1990s. However, not only did it spawn an entire generation of comedic and character actors, it changed the face of comedy on television. This series captured the spirit of its time and catered to a younger demographic. Before Mad TV premiered, Saturday Night Live pretty much had a stronghold on sketch comedy. This series provided a youthful alternative.
The 30-minute sketch series featured irreverent sketches and outrageous characters. It went places that Saturday Night Live wouldn’t dare touch in the 1990s. It had gay characters, suggestive material, and borderline offensive themes. It capitalized on the alternative rock culture of the time and the youthful audience of MTV. Episodes usually featured unrelated sketches that would bridge together by a line of dialogue or a cinematic bridge. It had a strong connection to improv comedy and humor.
The most shocking aspect to The State is how familiar the cast is. They have gone on to collaborate on tons of projects and they have become staples in the television and film community. Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney, Ben Garant and Joe Lo Truglio all went on to star in Reno 911! one of the most notable offshoots from the series. Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain went on to create the comedy trio Stella. The cast also featured Ken Marino (Veronica Mars), Kevin Allison, and Michael Patrick Jann. Various members of the cast reunited for the television series Viva Variety, Party Down, Burning Love and the films Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten, and Wanderlust.
Not only will the show make you laugh with hilarious and memorable sketches. It will also give a completely different perspective on comedy because like finding out the world is full of vampires, you will suddenly start to notice the cast of The State in everything. They have all had a hand in shaping comedy for the past 20 years. The show was held back from DVD release because of musical rights. Luckily, the entire series is available on Hulu Plus.
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Yahoo!
If you have been randomly surfing through the E! network’s schedule or searching for your favorite comedic actors, you may have stumbled upon Burning Love. This series has a bunch of A-list actors and a really irreverent spin on shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Not only is it shocking to see the likes of Adam Scott, Adam Brody, and Michael Cera in this relatively unknown show, but apparently the series started as a wildly popular web show that has featured Kristen Bell, Malin Ackerman, and Jennifer Aniston.
E! is currently airing the second season of The Bachelorette spoof. The State and Party Down alum Ken Marino directs this series and starred in the first season. The current season centers on Julie Gristlewhite (June Diane Raphael), the runner up from the prior season. Like The Bachelorette, Julie has a group of suitors vying for her affection. They include Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars) as Blaze, the hot one, Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as the single dad overly attached to his son, and Michael Cera, as the overly romantic guy. The cast also includes Adam Scott, Jerry O’Connell, Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, and Colin Hanks.
It’s insane to see this many great actors in such a small show. There are also cameos by Ben Stiller, Rob Corddry, Rebecca Romijn, and Paul Rudd. This much comedic talent in one place allows for a lot of funny bits and insanely irreverent moments. It also doesn’t shy away from pointing out the stupidity of some of these marriage proposal shows. At times Julie is racist or easily fooled. The guys get overly competitive and all have the unique archetypes of the cast of the popular ABC reality series.
It’s great to see Lo Truglio reunite with his The State co-stars Michael Ian Black and Marino. Along the same lines, Marino starred in Party Down with Scott, Hansen, and Martin Starr.
The series is definitely worth catching for a laugh. The second season is currently airing on E! and the full three seasons are available for viewing on Yahoo. Check out the series trailer:
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With Michael Showalter and David Wain, fellow members of The State, hosted and starred in "Stella", a regular comedy showcase staged at the New York nightclub Fez, boasting guest stars including Janeane Garofalo and Jon Stewart

Wrote, produced and starred in sketches for the MTV series "You Wrote It, You Watch It", hosted by Jon Stewart

"Stella" resumed its regular status for a limited holiday run

Hosted the NBC summer series "Spy TV"

Starred in the CBS special "The State's 43rd Annual Halloween Special"

Will guest host CBS' "The Late Late Show" to fill in for the departed Craig Kilborn

Starred on the MTV sketch comedy series "The State"

Played a quirky bowling alley employee in the NBC sitcom "Ed"

Was a regular on the Comedy Central series "Viva Variety", starring alongside fellow "The State" veterans Kerri Kenney and Thomas Lennon

Voiced the Pets.com sock puppet dog in a series of popular television commercials

Had a guest role on an episode of "NYPD Blue" (ABC)

Co-wrote the screenplay for the experimental short "I'm Your Man", billed as the first truly interactive motion picture experience

Raised in Hillsborough, New Jersey

Appeared in the independent comedy feature "Big Helium Dog" (filmed in 1997)

Reunited with all other ten members of 'The State' for a performance at the New York Comedy Film Festival (November)

Was featured in the Internet live-action series "Stella"

Guested on an episode of "Spin City" (ABC)

Summary

Michael Ian Black's strange career trajectory has taken the slight, dark-haired actor-writer-comedian from hip MTV icon to beloved sock puppeteer to a scene-stealing supporting character on the hit NBC series "Ed" (2000- ). The New Jersey native hooked up with fellow performers while attending New York University and formed a comedy troupe with a skewed, surrealistic approach to sketch comedy. Initially called 'The New Group', the collective became well-known at NYU, opening for campus guests like Dennis Miller before undergoing name changes, first being redubbed 'The State: Full-Frontal Comedy' and finally going by just 'The State'. Black and his cohorts shopped the group's brand of comedy to MTV, who initially passed but offered them the opportunity to write, produce and star in skits on the network's series "You Wrote It, You Watch It" (1992), which dramatized events submitted by viewers. They made the most of the next-to-nothing budget, and their wacky take on often average events set the tone for the short-lived show hosted by Jon Stewart.

Name

Role

Comments

Elijah Black

Son

born c. January 2001

Martha Hagen

Wife

born c. 1969; met while she worked for "The State"

Robert Schwartz

Father

divorced from Black's mother; died of injuries sustained in an assault c. 1982

Jill Schwartz

Mother

divorced from Black's father c. 1976

Education

Name

New York University

Notes

"I'm 22 years old and I have a show on MTV. If it all blows over tomorrow, I'll say, 'Hey, a job well done.'" --Michael Ian Black to USA Today, March 31, 1994.

"I'm Michael Ian Black, but my real name is Michael Schwartz, which I changed because I am ashamed of being Jewish." --an example of Black's humor, quoted in "The Personal State", a skit on a 1995 episode of "The State".

"'Beaches' is so good, it deserves to win every year."-- Black's response to Entertainment Weekly's question, "What should win the Best Picture Oscar this year?", quoted in the January 27, 1995 issue.

"It's just a bad sign when you're laughing too hard at your own material. You know it's coming from somewhere very secret in your head, and probably doesn't have a lot to do with the group." --Black on writing sketch comedy, quoted in Details, February 1996.